Girls Night on Kadara
by Myth0Magic
Summary: With Kadara's vault purified, Ryder and the girls decide to take the night off and enjoy a girls night out in Tartarus. Ryder thought she can finally let her guard down but she was wrong. Her crew was as relentless as any Kett. Their target was her and their ammo was Reyes. Timeline: Day After the Roekaar Mission, Ryder Purifying Kadara's Vault
1. Kadara's Vault

"Another vault about to kill us. You guys ready?" Ryder asks after picking up some Remnant Polymer from the fallen Remnant around them. "You have the quickest path back to the entrance memorized?"

Peebee, who was collecting other useful materials, and Cora, who was moving an Observer out of the way, nodded.

"You know, I could start heading toward the..."

"Peebee, you're not going anywhere. What if this vault is different and we get ambushed on the way back. We need your back up here so you're not going anywhere." Cora scolded Peebee.

Peebee picked up a fault vorged relay and responded "Yes, Mom"

Shaking her head, Ryder climbs over the Remnant in front of her and heads to the console. Making a mental checklist, she re-routes the way back to the entrance. Double checking which consoles need to be activated and which paths are already open. She also had to remember to pick up the remnant cache supply. The vaults on Eos and Voeld got her crew a lot of advanced equipment and whatever they couldn't use they were able to get a high amount of credits in the marketplace. If she had to rely on the initiative to upgrade her gear, they would be six feet under from old age. "Alright Girls. We get out of here, I'm treating us to a drink tonight. You in?"

"Kralla's or Tartarus?" Peebee asked

"Of Course Tartarus. Ryder probably wants to find a certain handsome smuggler." Cora commented slyly

"No" Ryder responded as she jumped down from the Destroyer that was in the way between the console and her "It would be nice to have a girls night out. I would also suggest Tartarus because the guys usually need up in Kralla's and it would be nice not to have them lurking around." Ryder punched in some data into her omni-tool. "So yeah, Tartarus. What do you say, we can get the other girls to join us? Have a few drinks... dance..."

"Flirt with a certain someone?" Gil's voice filtered in through her comm piece.

"Who? Reyes?" Ryder looked up from what she was doing. She noticed the girls smirk to each other.

"I don't think Gil was referencing anyone specific" Cora teased.

"Yeah, I mean, there are other people we know in the slums. Dr. Nakamoto..." Peebee suggests

"Kain Dagher" Cora adds

"So why did you think for Reyes, Ryder?" Peebee questions

Ryder had no answer. She just responded to Gil without thinking about it. But these girls were dangerous when they were on the same side. Usually the two would bicker like sisters but when they agreed and found a poor soul to torment... they could make even the Archon want to find a dark hole to hide in. Thankfully Gil came to her rescue.

"Well I'm in and I'll get Suvi to come as well. Vetra's somewhere down on the port but she's always up for drinks."

Ryder was thankful to Gil. She didn't have anything against Reyes and she felt like the girls were looking into things a bit too much. Using the opening, Ryder added "Lexi might take some convincing but I think I can get her to join us as well." Ryder remembered the last time she saw Lexi at the bar. She was drinking away her sorrows. Hopefully Lexi remembers the conversation they had and decides to join them tonight.

"But are you sure we should leave Kallo alone on the ship?" Gil asks "Cora usually keeps away the scavengers but I don't see Kallo scaring anyone away. We might end up with our ship stolen and stranded on Kadara forever."

"But I guess you probably wouldn't mind that? Would you Ryder?" Cora teased.

 _And the topic of Reyes comes back_. "Guys... What makes you think that I have any sort of attraction to Reyes? We're just..." But what were they? As Ryder was trying to figure out the best word for their relationship, the comms link came to life.

"Hot for each other?" Gil interjected

"No." Ryder quickly responded without fully comprehending what was said. When her brain finally processed what Gil said, she was taken aback "What?! No." An image of Reyes walking towards her flooded her thoughts. His lips part and one side lifts up giving a smile that made Ryder catch her breath. Her body tingled with the memory of Reyes coming toward her. So close she could feel the heat radiating off his body. An earthy smell mixed with whiskey and sweat aroused her senses. "Careful I'll start thinking you like me". It was a slightly deep tone that was softened to be sensual. She had looked up into his golden eyes. There was a mysterious light in them that she didn't notice before. "No, Reyes likes to tease me but I highly doubt he's actually attracted to me?"

"So why are you denying it so much?" Gil asked

"And you're looking a little flushed" Cora teased

"And your voice sounds a little breathy" Gil continued

Peebee scoffed "You guys should have been there yesterday when Reyes swooped in to save us from the Roekaar. Shooting his way down the stairs, running to your side. You didn't see him stand guard in front of me or Drack to protect us from the Roekaar or the bomb."

"Drack's too stubborn to be killed by a bomb or the Roekaar." Ryder retaliated

"But I'm not. I'm very fragile." Peebee dramatically exclaimed "Still, he doesn't give any of us a second glance when you're around. When we were leaving the base, he was only concerned about you and if you were alright." Ryder's memories went back to the base... the heat, the smell, the golden eyes and full lips. Forcing her mind past their flirtatious encounter, Ryder couldn't exactly remember if Reyes did address anyone else. Maybe he didn't. She could recall him fighting by her side. While she lined up her shots with her sniper, Reyes made quick work of the Roekaar surrounding the two of them with his assault rifle. While Reyes reloaded, Ryder used her biotics to cover for Reyes. Then when he loaded his gun, Reyes gave her some cover fire so Ryder could line up her next shot. It was as if the two were in sync. Neither of them needed to delegated orders or ask for help. They were in tune to each other and knew what the other needed. It was difficult to find a team that fused well. Even with her team, in the beginning, she had to delegate orders and ask for things like cover fire. She didn't lie when she said they were a good team but she didn't feel she expressed herself well enough to him. How could she say in so many words that those feelings, oberservations, whatever they were to him. And then he started to move, his arm brushed against her. It was the faintest touch between the two but Ryder felt it through her armor. She turned and watched Reyes walk out the door. He came to her help as fast as he left.

"I don't know. I think you might be reading into this a bit too much" Ryder defended

"Whenever we meet him in Tartarus, both of you forget there are other people in the room. It's like you guys end up in a world of your own. You know... it's painful listening to you guys flirt. I think last time Drack and I actually left the room but neither of you guys noticed."

"Anyway..." Ryder cut Peebee off "Can we focus? Death Cloud here waiting to kill us. Can we get back to this?" Ryder tried to distract them. How did they get on this conversation anyway?

"Fine. But this isn't over Ryder." Cora taunted. Ryder ignored the comment. As she stepped up to the console, she didn't realize how aware she had been of Reyes. But this was not the time or the place to reflect on this revelation.

"SAM, start interface" The Console springs to life. "Okay. Get Ready to Run" Ryder got her feet situated to kick off sprinting. Her feet had an energy that was waiting to be released but was being restricted. Finally Ryder saw the blue energy pillar turn red. She cut her connection with the Remnant Pillar and her biotics flared to life. She charged toward the exit. "Here it Comes! Go, Go!" As she ran, the force field in front of her turned red. Ryder jumped and used another biotic charge to avoid entering the distortion field.

"How is any of this a good planning mechanism?" Ryder complained "Who thought 'As we reboot this system, lets run to the exit and have a death cloud chase us. And to add to the fun let add disruptor fields as an obstacle' ". As she passed the doorway, Peebee and Cora were already waiting at the ramp for Ryder to activate the console to her left. "But that's not fun enough, let's add a checkpoint" Ryder interfaces with the Console.

"Shit Ryder! The Death Cloud is coming through fast. Ryder, we need the Console!" Cora panicked through the comms.

"A really slow checkpoint" Finally the Console activated. The Door closed and the pathway ahead emerged. Ryder ran to the edge, jumped, and used her jump jet to push her forward. The doors weren't going to hold the Death Cloud back for long. Jumping across the electrified black goo to the platform, Ryder was about to move the the path on the left when she heard Peebee yell into the comms.

"Ryder! We closed that pathway!"

"Shit" Ryder reprimanded herself while redirecting herself to jump across to the right. _How can I have been so stupid! I knew the path. Went over it so many times before activating the purification process. It's cause they started talking about Reyes. All thoughts and preparation just escaped my mind_. Images of Reyes snuck into her mind as she continued to run through the vault.

"Ryder! What the hell is wrong with you?"

Ryder snapped back to reality. She was about to follow the girls across the bridge. Looking behind her she realized she passed up the remnant cache. The barrier was down. She looked to her left and could see the smoke was half way between the door and the remnant cache. "I got it! Just go" Ryder backtracked to the room to pick up the rem-tech. Leaving the room, she saw Peebee and Cora were already on the platform ahead and looking back to see if Ryder was coming. Running forward, Ryder looked back to see where the death cloud was. She still had time. Running across the bridge her biotics flared. She jumped and charged for the platform, Ryder finally made it to the console at the vault's exit. She was exhausted and out of breath. Peebee and Cora were breathing just as heavily and she was grateful for the silence as they made their way to the gravity well.

Walking out of the remnant vault, Ryder looked up into the clear sky. Ryder could smell the difference. The overpowering smell of eggs was significantly reduced. "God I hate running" she said as she collapsed against the vault's pillar.

Breathless and surprised, Peebee was quick to react "Seriously?! But that's all we seem to do." She laid on the ground where she was standing "Run towards this. Run away from that. I thought you had some sick pleasure running everywhere"

"Oh no. That was Alec." Cora cut in. "Trust me. I received some of his informal training. I don't know how you and Scott survived growing up" She was still somehow on her feet ready to fight at the first sign of trouble

"But weren't you in the System's Military Alliance?" Peebee continued to ask as she laid sprawled out across the vault's entrance floor

"Didn't mean I enjoyed running. My assignment were either peacekeeping missions or working with Prothean researchers. When my Dad was the pathfinder, my supporting role was to establish relations during first contact and keep a look out for artifacts and other new technology"

"Huh..." Peebee surprisingly didn't go on. Probably cause she was still trying to catch her breath.

Over the comms, SAM started to give some data regarding the environmental changes. Ryder barely paid attention. Finally when SAM was done, Lexi's voice came over on Comms. "Ryder? Since you're by the water, could you bring back a few samples for me to test?"

"The Pathfinders job is never done. I can barely sit for a minute and take a rest." Exasperated Ryder replied "Sure. On one condition. Tonight we take a break. All of us."

"...Girls" Cora clarified

"All of us Girls" Ryder correct

"and me" Gil interjected over comms

"That's what I said. All of us Girls." Teased Ryder. "I will get your water sample as long as you join the 6 of us out for drinks tonight. Deal?"

The silence dragged on. Ryder didn't want to push Lexi but Lexi never took a break. She needed a night out just as much as Ryder, maybe more. Plus, she needed to make more personal relations with everyone. Lexi was all professional all the time and not everyone was comfortable with that. Finally Lexi came on over the comms. "Fine but..."

"Great!" Ryder cut Lexi off. She didn't want to hear any buts. Standing up Ryder walked over to the water "I'm getting you the readings now."

Scanning the water and obtaining a few water samples, SAM interjected that the water was no longer acidic and was completely safe to drink.

"Holy Crap" Cora said as she walked up next to Ryder. "The purification process works fast."

SAM interjected "I surmise that not all the water on Kadara has been purified yet. My best hypothesis is that this body of water has been cleared of all impurities because it is right next to the remnant vault. The other bodies of water should take a hours to be purified."

As SAM was talking, Ryder had the most fantastic idea. Ryder started to unclasp the hinges of her armor. Removing her armor, Ryder's sweating skin welcomed the fresh air. Her shirt was plastered against her body. Ryder dove into the water. The water wrapped itself around Ryder and absorbed into her clothes. It had been over 600 years since she went swimming. As Ryder's head broke the surface of the water she was greeted with a hysterical Cora.

"Ryder what the hell are you thinking!"How can you just take your armor off. We're in Kadara! Home of Exiles and Pirates. And we're in the Badlands, where the exiles get exiled! Every corner we turn we have Outcasts and Collective shooting at us! Taking off you're armor in this area is such a...!" What it was, Cora didn't get to finish. She didn't realize Peebee was sneaking up behind her. And before Cora knew it, she was pushed into the pond.

Another slash of Peebee jumping in right behind followed. Peebee surfaced and laughed. Finally, Cora composed herself. Standing in the water she looked at her gun. "Well this is crap now"

Ryder laughed. "Come on Cora. Enjoy the refreshing water. I'm, personally, tired of having to ration my shower time. My guns are dry and we all have Biotics. If trouble finds us then I think we can go on the defense a bit before we have to go on the offensive. Plus with all the changes happening to the planet, I think people are going to be a little distracted. I just want to relax" Ryder started to lean back and float on her back "and get the sweat from running off of me"

SAM interrupted the conversation, "Please refrain from skinny dipping Ryder" Ryder let out a loud laugh remembering the first time she saw the acidic water on Kadara and made a comment about skinny dipping. She'd never seen two men get more flustered then Jaal and Liam did that day. Jaal didn't understand the slang and requested more information from Liam. Ryder had a hard time appearing very serious as she listened to Liam fumble through an explanation. It didn't help that she pretend to be offended that he was using her, their Pathfinder" as a visual reference. Liam had corrected himself multiple times from using Ryder as an example to a generic person in the explanation.

Ryder heard Cora sigh and toss her gun back on solid ground making an excuse that she was already wet and it'll only be for a couple minutes. But then Lexi came over comms and started to lecture them about not analyzing the water properly before jumping into the water and how she would need to examine them when they came back to the Tempest. Peebee started to argue back to Lexi about not wanting to be her lab rat. Ryder stopped paying attention. Somehow, life felt normal again. As she floated on her back, she thought she saw some movement in the mountains. Focusing on the area, she saw a shuttle depart into the air. Shuttles flying and landing all across Kadara weren't new but somehow this shuttle caught her eye.


	2. Persona's Converge

**Time: Morning**

Reyes Vidal has survived because he's taken every opportunity given to him and used it to his advantage. Though Reyes Vidal was a smuggler who appeared not to care about anything but credits and the pleasures of life, He was also the Charlatan. The Charlatan was deceptive, opportunistic, patient and he was not going to let this opportunity, for as long as he had it, slip through his fingers. He laid in bed listening to the chatter coming through his omni tool.

"Come on, seriously? Every soldier has tattoos" a perky female voice is heard through the speakers. He recalls hearing that voice yesterday. The asari? Phoebe was it? Looking over at the datapads surrounding him, he found the one with info about the asari on Ryder's team. Pelessanria B'Sayle aka Peebee. _I understand why she would want to go with the nickname_ , Reyes thinks

"Not where you'll ever see them" A stern female voice thick with annoyance responds. He looks over the data of Ryder's team. Dr. Suvi Anwar, Science Officer in astrophysics and microbiology. Reyes moves to the next file, Dr. Lexi T'Perro, Tempest Medical Doctor. _Nope_. Vetra Nyx, Mercenary. He knew of Vetra's reputation and he highly doubted that a chatty, bouncy associate would have Vetra lose face. Disregarding the file, he looks to the last female file. Lieutenant Cora Harper, second in command. This is probably the voice of the second person.

He barely paid any mind while the girls bickered. _This conversation isn't going to give me any useful information_. Reyes closed his eyes and rubbed his head with his hand. Three girls driving around the Badlands and they're bickering about tattoos. Sighing, Reyes looks to the monitors on his wall displaying images of Ryder on various planets, mission reports from the Initiative, and personal data he accumulated through his various contacts.

"So... Ryder?" the perky asari, Peebee, clearly up to something

His attention was alerted back on the transmission but image Ryder walking into Tartarus flashed in his mind. She was covered in the white armor that he's come to associate with her. Throughout his time here in Heleus, he hadn't known or seen any other person sporting armor like hers. It was difficult not to appreciate how the armor accentuated her natural curves and shape, especially since she didn't use fabric enhanced armor like he did. He couldn't help wondering, under all that armor, if she might have a tattoo, what it could be and where it would be located.

"Well..." Ryder's voice pauses. His monitor flashed to an image of Ryder in Kadara Port. She was walking down the stairs from the second level loading dock to the marketplace in her casual wear, chaste for Kadara. Any other place it would be normal but on Kadara, women of Ryder's beauty wore clothing that left little to the imagination, when not wearing armor. Like her armor, her clothes accentuated her frame. Her unique jacket of blue and white, similar to the Initiative colors but not standard issued clothing half zipped and with it a matching white scarf and black gloves. It was a mix of hard and soft that he's come to enjoy finding in the aspects that were Sara Ryder but it was apparent that many exiles on Kadara looked at Ryder as prey.

"I think if you buy her a drink, charm her a bit... " Ryder could be heard responding. _But the Pathfinder is far from weak_. Reyes's lips turned up into a smirk. Clearly she was avoiding the question which made him all the more intrigued.

"I meant you. Do you have any tattoos?" Peebee pressed on. Part of him, the Reyes Vidal side of him didn't want to find out the answer. He wanted to accept the challenge of finding out her mysteries.

"No..." Ryder let the response drag on. "No, I don't" He was disappointed to have uncovered the answer so easily.

"Seriously?" the bubbly voice suspicious

"I would surmise that Ryder is telling the truth" a professional and heavily accented voice contributed into the conversation.

After initially meeting the Pathfinder a month ago, he used his resources to acquire a scrambler and developed an untraceable omni tool. It wasn't until yesterday, after fighting off the Roekaar, that he was able to successfully bug his link to her secure connection. It took him a while to figure out that, though Ryder had a secure connection, she left her communications open with her squad mates and crew aboard the Temptest. It made him uncomfortable to learn the ease that her crew monitored her communications and contributed into conversations, as if they were there alongside her. He was always discreet in any encounters he had but he still spent the night going over every encounter and conversation they had the past few weeks. Trying to determine if he may have unintentionally given information that could bring any suspicion onto him. But after hours of listening, he realized that Ryder only had the connections open when she went out in the Badlands. Any communication inside Kadara Port was done in person or was relayed through her AI, SAM. He was impressed. Foresight seemed to come naturally to Ryder. Something he wished some of his agents had more of. If she wasn't the Pathfinder, he would have tried to recruit her into the Collective.

"How do you figure?" the asari pried

"Ryder's adrenaline levels spike whenever a needle is involved. Initially, I found it interesting but as we've been on 6 different planets and medical examinations are required for analysis. It's been quite entertaining seeing Ryder's levels spike every time I bring out the needle"

 _Interesting, my dear Pathfinder_. As the Charlatan this was potentially a vital piece of information.

"I fucking hate you, Lexi!" A chuckle from who was clearly the Tempest Doctor transmitted through the connection at Ryder's reaction "I thought you might have been enjoying your work too much but you always find everything so intriguing so I thought I was making shit up." There was a slight pause but Ryder apparently couldn't let the comment go "It's just a very minor fear. I don't let it get in the way of your work." Ryder retaliated . "Speaking of work, we're at the first site." He chuckled. She was obviously trying to end the conversation on her terms.

He could hear the hiss of a vehicle door releasing pressure and then a barrage of gunfire. Reyes leaned across his bed and reached for the omni tool. Turning down the volume, he sighed and sat at the edge of his bed. With his elbows on his knees and head down, he started to twist and stretch his neck. The cool morning air kissing his bare back helped clear his mind and focus. It had been a long night and if she thought she had a lot to do, the Charlatan had more. For every action the Pathfinder did, the Charlatan had at least two and the Pathfinder was turning rocks faster then he could keep up with. Standing up, Reyes walked to the chair and picked up his shirt.

By the time he was almost done putting on his amour, he recognized the Omni tool went silent. Grabbing his assault rifle, he secured it into place on walked back over to the bed. Picking up the omni tool, he was about to examine if the connection was lost when he heard a voice filter through.

"I appreciate the assistance but you need to leave" a male's voice

"I've got experience with Remnant Tech. I know what I'm doing." After a brief pause. "Mostly" Reyes smirked. The Pathfinder hadn't changed from their first encounter in Kadara Port. At Kralla's and outside the Outcast Headquarters, Ryder demonstrated confidence and clarity. But she wasn't too proud to admit she needed help. It seems even after all her successes across Helius, she was still modest.

"This isn't Ryder's first Monolith" her squadmate defended

"How is that possible?" the male voice questioned

"It'll be easier to show you" Ryder said casually. Not an air of arrogance or impatience in her tone. Reyes found her refreshing. In Kadara, the women were not like Ryder. There was something about her. A certain... dignity that he found appealing. Before he could think further into the matter a deep blast sounded and there was a rumble that reverberated the ground and air. Switching the transmission to his earpiece, he stepped outside to take a look, he saw a beam of light course through the bright sky. He loaded up his encryption key and sent a message to HQ.

 _Crux_

 _The Pathfinder is activating the vaults today. Have a team follow the beam to its designated location. Start a sweep of the area for any Outcasts. We want the Pathfinder to succeed in Purifying our vault. Make sure she gets there with minimal obstacles. Once the vault's general area is established, station patrols in a perimeter outside the visual area of the vault. We don't want the Pathfinder to realize what are units are doing and we don't need any low level units shooting at the hip and destroying the Collective's ace card. In regards to that, I want the Pathfinder ALIVE. Spread the word that all units are not to shoot or harm the Pathfinder going forward. Finally, distribute the Informants into the population. Have them imply that the Outcasts are against the Pathfinder improving Kadara's viability. The Pathfinder works fast and we need to be faster. I will keep you informed of further action._

 _C_

* * *

 **Time: Midday**

Standing up, Reyes turned off the omni-tool he was using to monitor Ryder's communication and removed the kinetic barrier he placed when he first arrived in the Haarfel Mountains. From that spot, he had sat and listened to the girls going through the Remnant Vault in the clearing below. It was an intense fight getting in and an intense fight getting out but he was amused that even though it all, the girls still had time to banter. What was even more interesting was that they talked about him. He was flattered to hear how flustered Ryder became when they teased her. The driven and successful Pathfinder becoming flustered when taunts from her crew started.

He had a handful of experiences working with the Pathfinder, along with flirting with her. Images of her flashed through his mind, clearly recalling how the side of her lips raised up, how her eyes brightened when then squinted slightly, and then she would take a small bite of her lower lip. Then if he was lucky to be outside with her, he would get a slight flush to the cheeks that normally wouldn't be visible but Reyes had first discovered outside Outcast headquarters.

Though he mussed about the alluring aspects of Ryder, the conversation in the vaults was enlightening. During the taunt, certain behaviors that he displayed over the course of their partnership, that he wasn't aware of, came to light. Apparently, when Ryder was around, he, _no... they_ , would focus in on each other and disregard all else. He looked over his shoulder before heading into his cargo ship, he saw Ryder swimming in a lake that was acidic not too long ago. He recalled the conversation he overheard of SAM telling her the water was clean before her jumping in. After months of living on Kadara, he adapted to it's dangers. By reflex, he jumped to his feet, ready to run to her aid when she first jumped in, completely disregarding SAM's info or her companions. _Maybe there was some truth to those statements_. He powered up the ship. Unable to let the statement go, he recalled the times he spoke with her in Tartarus. He remembered being aware of her companions with her but disregarding them as unimportant at the time. It wasn't until this morning he cared to learn about her crew. It was sloppy work on his part and it could have been a very dangerous mistake. A feeling of self reproach started to take over. _Never before has a woman distracted me as you do my dear Ryder. What is it about you?_

Flying over the pond, he looked down and saw Ryder floating and staring up to the sky. A smile graced his lips as he decided to make a quick patrol around the area before flying back to Kadara Port. Activating his voice modulator on his omni tool, he spoke " _Clear the units stationed about Haarfel Mountain and tell them they have the night off, courtesy of the Pathfinder. Let them know that the success of the Pathfinder is ensuring the Collective's success over the Outcasts. Also, let's give our unsuspecting agent a gift for her hard work. Station our units inside Kadara Port to secure the docks tonight and give her a supply of our Kadaran Ale. Make sure she knows it's a Thank You gift from the Charlatan."_ Ending the transmission, Reyes took one last look down to the pond. The girls were out of the water now and gearing up. He was proud of Ryder and shared a certain joy in watching her succeed that had nothing to do with the Charlatan or the Collective. In a way, he wished that he could continue to be there for her however indirectly or directly he's been here for her over the past few weeks.

Moments later he was docking his ship at the docks of Kadara Port. By luck, he found a landing zone next to the Tempest. As he waited for the Dock's Manager, Cole Dalton, to come and collect the Outcast "Fees" he leaned against his ship listening to the rumors around him. It seemed the Collective informants worked fast. He heard people talking about the Pathfinder and the monoliths. A certain hope behind their eyes. A hope that they were not doomed to die in Andromeda. No one dare mention the rumors of Sloane in the open but when Ryder was down in the vault, he received a few reports from his Lieutenants. Reports of Outcast members considering desertion. Regular civilians on Kadara saying that Vetra has already been helping to sneak exiles into Initiative Outposts. Chuckling, he couldn't believe the shit that his team came up with. He didn't care what they had to say as long as people started to question Sloane's ability. And through it all, Keema reported that Sloane was putting on a facade of indifference but in reality seemed displeased with the situation. It was understandable she would be displeased and he hoped this cut was deep. The initial chaos with the Initiative and the success of removing the Kett from Kadara solidified her position in Kadara. People followed her and enforced her power which resulted in the protection fees that further cemented her power as a Ruler of Kadara. Sloane prided herself on making Kadara viable, a feat that the Initiative initially failed to do. But Ryder, unknowingly, was challenging the status quo. Today had been a successful day for the Pathfinder but equally successful for the Charlatan. _  
_

"Hey Vidal. What do you have today?"

Reyes focused his attention to Cole. "What do you want to buy? I'm sure I can work something out"

"Not at your prices" Cole countered. "Speaking of, you got to pay up"

Looking wounded, Reyes started to enter the payment into his Omni-tool "You should reconsider what is high if your charging me this much just to dock"

"Just following orders"

As Cole was confirming the transfer, Reyes decided to push for some direct information. "Apparently, something happened. People are running around like chickens. Usually, a dead body or a beat-down in the streets couldn't get this many people talking. Want to fill me in?"

Dalton hesitated but Reyes knew that if Cole had information other people didn't, it made him feel important and he would sing like a canary. "Apparently" Cole started as if the Pathfinder's activities were a secret "the Pathfinder has been busy. She's been activating the monoliths all day. Some say she's acquiring Remnant bots to control and declare war on Sloane." Reyes continued to listen as Cole delivered the rumors. Biting his tongue when incorrect information was given to him and interjecting when needed. Dalton liked to talk, made him feel important but Reyes only cared about establishing an alibi in case he were to ever need it.

As Dalton continued to gossip, Reyes's attention became distracted as Ryder walked through the elevator doors to the docks. She seemed to always catch his attention whenever she walked into a room. _But my interest in Ryder are... professional_. After finishing his thought he didn't feel like that was the correct word but he didn't have time to dwell on those thoughts. Dalton's attention was diverted from his gossiping to Ryder.

"Pathfinder" Cole shouted halfway across the docks as Ryder was walking through the doors. "I got messages from the marketplace vendors. They said they'll have your supplies here in the morning"

Across the docks, Ryder focused her attention of the pair of them. A smile of joy that she had when she first arrived still lingered there. "Thank You Cole"

"Thank You?!" Cole stepped back, surprise and shock at her response. Raising his voice so the whole dock area could hear, he said "You hear that assholes? Thank you!" Redirecting his attention back to Ryder, Cole continued so that everyone could hear "Pathfinder, you keep saying 'Thank You' like that to me and I'll give you whatever your heart desires." A certain fire erupted in Reyes's stomach. He had a sudden impulse to drag the dock manager out into the Badlands and throw him into one of the still acidic ponds. But somehow his body continued to stay leaning against his ship as if enjoying the show instead of displaying the fire inside.

Shaking her head and raising her eyebrows at that horrible line, Ryder didn't let it faze her. She didn't need to raise the volume of her voice, everyone on the docks was quiet, waiting to see how the Pathfinder responded "I don't think you could even fulfill my smallest desire". The beast inside him hummed with satisfaction. The audience had a show. Reyes could see the snickers and covered smiles.

Pride wounded, Dalton tried to recover "I could make you very happy" Images of Dalton screaming and flaying in the pools flashed in his mind.

"Why? Are you leaving?" The docks erupted with laughter and jeers. It was an unusual sight. His whole time here, he's never seen Kadara so carefree, with people smiling and enjoying themselves. He laughed along with the rest of them and his eyes caught hers. Without hesitation, he gave her a wink. He was delighted to see that she smiled back and bit her lower lip. A pleasant tingle started to spread down his neck and down his back. A euphoria he never felt before that seemed to have triggered when Ryder looked at him. He forgot about where he was and the people around him. It seemed like in this moment it was only the two of them.

Then that world shattered as he heard someone laugh and say "That's my Girl" and she broke eye contact. A man approached her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "That's how you handle that". Unlike her dismissal with Cole, she allowed the man in red to remain in place. The warm tingle started fading to nothing and in it's a place a poisonous coil started to wrap around his chest again. He watched as the man started to walk into the Tempest with Ryder.

He stepped forward and away from Dalton without thinking through his actions. He called out to her. "Ryder"

She turned her body away from the man next to her and faced him. The man next to her dropped his arm. A small sense of victory spread through him but now he realized that he called out to her with no real purpose and she was waiting on him to reach her and talk to her with whatever he needed.

"So apparently, you may have just increased the value of some champagne I just acquired. Rumor has it that you restarted the vault here on Kadara." He was usually good at improvising but right now he felt like shit was coming out of his mouth and he didn't know which direction to continue. He thought back to yesterday and what he said at the Roekaar base. "You couldn't be happy with making the streets of Kadara safe. You just had to go and fix the whole planet." He came up close to her again just as he did yesterday and gave her one of his sly grins. That small bit of victory that he felt earlier grew. Ryder leaned in a bit closer, a flush creeping across her cheeks. The man that was with her apparently forgotten. His eyes drew to her lips as she opened them to say something.

"I don't understand." A deep voice distracted Ryder from saying what she was intending to say to him and she took the smallest step back. They were still intimately close but the moment was gone. When he looked up, he saw her Angaran companion walking toward them "If Ryder..."

"You fucking idiot, Jaal" the man in red that was with her earlier cut him off. This was not what he would have expected a person to say to someone interrupting a moment such as theirs. Especially if said person may have had some intimate feelings of their own. "Capital R - Read the situation and fuck off like I was about to". Turning his attention back to Ryder, the man addressed them "Take your time Ryder. I'm going to take the biggest failure in galactic history with me and get out of your way."

"It's okay, Gil." She turned her face back to look at him but continued to speak with the man, Gil "I don't doubt Reyes will try to continue this later." she said with a light laugh. "We can just have him stew and wait but more likely he will just forget about this moment until the next time he wants to have a little fun with me."

He hoped that was disappoint he heard in her voice. As he continued to stare back into her eyes, he knew he needed to walk away. He already exposed himself too much and he should course correct. But Ryder hadn't moved since the Angaran showed up and his body was drawn to her. He felt if he were to step away, he would never see sunlight again. He reached his hand up and with the back of his finger he brushed her cheek, right where the faint blush was and in a low soft voice he said "There's not a moment that will go by that I won't think of you" He was rewarded with the sight of her eyelids closing gently and with a little bite of the lip. The smile on his face grew and he knew he needed to leave. He took a step back.

He watched as she opened her eyes and composed herself. She sighed so softly, he was surprised he even noticed. Stepped away from him but before turning around to walk back to her ship, she replied in her own soft voice "Good". Then she turned away. As she took a few steps towards her crew and ship she looked over her shoulder and gave him a warm smile. The tingling feeling on his neck flaring up again and spreading down his back and across his body. It was a feeling of pleasure he never wanted to let go of.


End file.
